PSL reports that Åsa Jacobsson (Marit Bergman) and Alf are collaborating on a project called Nutid: https://blogg.svt.se/psl/2008/11/12/asa-alf-nutid/
Listen here: https://www.myspace.com/nutid
Look for a new Sahara Hotnights album in February and a new single in December. The band was recently in the studio working with producer Björn Yttling (Peter Bjorn and John).
Audrey has run into some problems with their booking agent on their current European tour and have been forced to cancel a few shows. Read more at their website: https://www.audrey.se/
Ida Maria is streaming a new track called "To do list for January": https://www.myspace.com/idamaria
Absolut Noise talks to up-and-coming Swedish act Sonjagon: https://absolutnoise.blogspot.com/2008/11/post-grunge-in-slow-motion.html
Swedish indie act New Decade (remember?) is streaming new tracks at myspace: https://www.myspace.com/newdecademusic
I'm From Barcelona has announced the winner of their remix competition: https://www.imfrombarcelona.com/?page_id=448
IAT.MP3 artists and Aerial sideproject The Giant's Dream has a new CDR release called "Canto I: For the Seven Lakes", the first of a series of Canto/Chapter releases they are planning. Read more: https://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=60038342&blogID=448404692
Deep Water Acres writer Mats Gustafsson interviews IAT favorite The Goner aka Daniel Westerlund: https://www.dwacres.com/node/2176
The Sirius/XM merger goes live today and there's a ton of channel changes to check out: https://www.sirius.com/newlineup
As you can see, Left of Center/Channel 26 is now called XM U. My show remains unchanged though - I'm still on Sundays + Mondays at 11pm ET, now available on XM Channel 43. This coming weekend's show will be a reintroduction of sorts with a all-killer/no-filler style playlist, so be sure to check it out!
MP3: Håkan Lidbo - Sandviken by night
The more time I spend at my dayjob staring at long lines of code, the more I appreciate the soothing repetition of ambient techno. The consistent pulse is engaging enough to keep my mind working and focused and the lack of vocals keeps me from distraction. I'm no DJ, but when I queue up a long playlist and let the tracks fade into eachother, that's perfect for a long day's work. Besides the Boeoes Kaelstigen stuff I've talked about before, I also really appreciate Håkan Lidbo, especially his more straight-up housey stuff like this track. I like his weirder, more abstract stuff too (see "Musik för främmande civilisationer/Music for alien civilizations", for one), but that doesn't do me well for long, sustained periods of deep concentration. This is the stuff that's best suited to zoning out, whether it's in front of the computer or on the dancefloor. What makes it stand above other lesser techno, I can't really pinpoint as I lack the experience and the vocab to adequately convey it, but I know I like it and that's enough.
Håkan Lidbo - Sandviken by night
Navid Modiri & Gudarna
Allt jag lärt mig hittills
Bad Taste Records
It was with a hallelujah impression, when I, a couple of years ago, saw Navid Modiri & Gudarna perform live. Thought finally a band that can't be placed in a specific box and, thanks to that, can bomb us with creativity in unlimited ways. It is not the same hallelujah moment when their third release "Allt jag lärt mig hittills" feels like they can't live up to what they have done before. Even so, they have made us fall in love with their sharp attitude and truly, if you are a fan, expect to fall over and over again. With this album the focus on American politics, cult artists such as Lou Reed and the location Hisingen, has changed. A displeasure at first, with the Hisingen loss, but as hinted before, inveterate is not their thing. This new release is about symbolic violence. Navid Modiri & Gudarna is a controversial band, either you like them or you don't. This is a kind of Miss Li unlabeled music genre that, if you need words, goes into a blend between reggae oriental pop with a jazz influence on circus. Navid Modiri is known for his society criticism in a sarcastic but reasonable way. Some people call it naivety, but not if you have been on a live performance and heard "Kom och dansa med oss" and laughed collectively at Bush with final tears caused by "Om jag ska dö" from the album "Många mil att gå", though I have a hard time to see this album go as far. Highlights from this release are: "Telefonsvaren", "Dagen jag fick nog" and "Kung Midas". Give it a few listens and it will grow on you.
- Therese Buxfäldt
Satyricon's brand new video for the track "Black crow on a tombstone" is now online: https://www.satyricon.no/news/
Norwegian rockabilly act Orbo & the Longshots have a new video for the track "Jet black" posted on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5_R8BWUubc